I spend a lot of time researching websites and social media profiles to see who is doing a FANTASTIC job providing awesome exposure for their brands.

Unfortunately, not everyone is rockin’ it in this area, and I want to make sure that this critical social media strategy is not overlooked going forward.

One area that really stands out for me is the ease that I can find social media “connect” buttons on a website or blog. I find that my eyes often focus on the top of the page, and many key people that I follow put them there, or somewhere on the first page of content. On the flip side, many people bury their social media connect buttons deep in to their website, and I have to go digging to find them. If I really like what they are doing, I will dig, but typically not – it is much to time-consuming.

What I am going stress next may seem obvious, kind of “Intro To Social Media”, but humour me for a minute.

The more opportunities that you give people to connect with you, the greater the change that they actually will! People tend to be too busy, many are looking for the shortcut, and want the easiest ways to connect possible. So why not give them many opportunities to do so?

Here are some places that I make sure that I promote other places that people can connect with me:

Twitter Profile – Insert a link in the space provided under the tag line where you would like people to land and discover more about you. Perhaps your website, blog or even a Facebook Fan page.

LinkedIn Profile – There is a place on the template to include other social media profile links (and links to websites & blogs).

Facebook Fan Page Profile – Under the “About Page”, there are fields to include an email address, other accounts (which includes Twitter), and websites.

YouTube/Google+ Profile – Under the “About Page”, there is a “Links” section. You can add social media and website info there.

Pintrest Profile – There is a place to put your website link, but you can choose another social media link if you don’t have a website or blog

LinkedIn “Thanks For Connecting Note” – Every person that I connect with gets a “Thanks For Connecting” note. I always ask people where else I can connect with them, and provide the links to where they can connect with me. A shout out to Paul Castain for drilling this in to my head early in my online journey! You can check out Paul’s incredible work at http://yoursalesplaybook.com/

At The End Of Blog Posts – This is a great place to remind people where else they can connect with you, and give an email address and/or phone number if they have questions, or heck maybe even hire you 🙂

On An Email Signature – I don’t recommend listing 8 places that they can connect with you after your name. That would be a little hard on the eyes. But list a couple of places, and change it up periodically; maybe once per month?

On Social Media Channels – Sounds kind of obvious, but you can Tweet “Hey stop by my website”, or post on Facebook how to connect with you on Twitter. You get the idea.

Post Other Ways To Connect On LinkedIn Groups – Some LinkedIn Groups have discussions that allow you to post links to specific social media profiles. If you want to know which groups I am a member of, shoot me an email at TimMushey@gmail.com

Please note – I have not taken the plunge yet on Instagram, Snapchat or other social media sites that the cool kids are on. But I am sure that there are similar features which allow you to include social media & website links (and potentially email addresses).

If you have any questions about improving your link coverage & website/blog visibility, please email me at TimMushey@gmail.com

What?????? Is it even possible for Gary Vee to step up his game even more?

Well he has.. check this out!

I have been MIA for a while on my blog, and I do sincerely apologize. I am working on some new things that have me very excited. Details coming before the end of the year.

I was recently listening to Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income podcast, and he had Gary Vaynerchuk on. If you don’t know who he is, just Google his name. He is one of the first people that I followed as I started studying the online marketing space, and he has been just “crushing it” for years.

Gary has started a daily video series, which has also become a podcast called “Ask Gary Vee“. The content is raw, real and incredibly valuable.

If you are on Twitter, and you want to submit a question to Gary, use the hashtag #AskGaryVee I enjoy even just following the hashtag!

I first got super pumped up about working in the online space after listening to a Tony Robbins audio interview series that Gary was on. One of the most memorable things that Gary passionately said (he is from Jersey so he always has passion),

“You want a business strategy, CARE”.

That has always stuck with me.

As always, if you have any questions about personal branding, social media strategy, sales or leadership, feel free to reach out at TimMushey@gmail.com

Today more than ever, personal branding is incredibly important. The tools are there to stand out in very crowded niches and be game changers helping those who really need it.

I think many people undervalue their worth online in one, or multiple niches that they are working in.

Always remember that people love to work with like-minded people, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and build a kick-a** community of raving fans.

When I think of personal branding, 5 things really come to mind:

Be Yourself – Don’t try to be somebody that you are not. It rarely works, and you just look silly

Engage Others -Nothing worse than somebody putting out great content but never engaging their audience

Be Consistent – One big red flag that stands out for me when I come across a new brand is if their social media content is inconsistent, with long breaks of nothing. If you are in, you are in – show up often with high quality content

Be of Service – It is not about you, it is about your audience. Once you get the mindset of helping others, it will be a game changer. The money will be there, as long as you don’t focus on it

Start a Blog or Website With Your Name – Even if you have an existing business, it is a great idea to be branded online with your name as well. What better way to get known online than people being able to stop by “Insert Name.com”!

What does personal branding mean to you?

What struggles have you had with your brand, and what steps have you taken to make yourself a “rock star” brand now?

On the way home from our family vacation this summer, I turned on to a highway that I taken at least 5 times over the past 10 years. Or so I thought 😦

Shortly after I passed through the first town, something did not seem right. The road seemed more narrow, and we were travelling through more small towns, at lower speeds. Finally after about 45 minutes, I said to my wife, “check out where we are on maps.com”.

Sure enough, I had taken a wrong turn, and we were going in a totally different direction. I was disappointed in myself. I had delayed the arrival at our hotel and “pool time” with our kids before bed. From that moment on for the next hour or so, I tried to speed a bit to make up time. Travelling with a seven and one year old, I wanted to get them out of the vehicle and playing as soon as possible.

Then my wife told me just to relax and enjoy the journey, it was no big deal. We would get there when we get there.

From there on, the rest of the ride was fun. We saw some towns we had never seen before, had supper at a “classic” diner, and even saw Santa Claus – yes Santa Claus in August! We passed through a small town that had a large statue of Santa right on their main street. The kids really loved getting pictures with him in the middle of summer. The sunset was gorgeous, and my wife took some fantastic pictures to help remember our extended travel day.

What I took away from this is things don’t always go as initially planned, but you have to embrace the “turns and twists” in the road. When I first got online four years ago, I thought I had to know exactly where I would be going before I launched a first blog and website. I have come to terms with when I launch something new, it may look totally different six months or a year from now, but I just have to get started. Putting myself out there will be the key to success, not trying to perfect something ahead of time in my head that is unproven.

Have things not gone according to your exact plan online?

How have you adapted to the changes that have come your way?

How did your feel initially, and how do you feel now about the “online path” you are on?

If you feel “stuck” or are having trouble with any aspect of your online business, I am here to help.

Heck if you need a “gentle nudge” just to get started please let me know.

I have probably had many of the same feelings and experiences that you are having now.

I have known the one-of-a-kind Paul Castain for over three years, and had the pleasure to speak with him on several occasions.

Long ago when I started writing, did not have a blog yet, and was “stuck”, I started to research the sales profession and stumbled across a website. They had a blogroll (list of blogs that they followed) and Paul’s blog – “Your Sales Playbook” was one of them.

I had clicked on many of the other blogs and moved on shortly after, but something made me dive deeper in to Paul’s content. He even had a link to a music playlist to help pump everyone up! Any sales website that has content on music (one of my passions) is going to get more of a look than the others.

From that moment, I made a point of supporting him on my “regular run” of the social media circles. I commented on his posts, listened to podcasts, shared content and interacted with him on a more personal level. I really connected with him, and at any moment felt like we could go grab a drink and shoot the breeze.

Over a year and a half passed and I was finally ready to launch my blog in January of 2012. It was a honour early on to have Paul stop by and comment to wish me well. Like many bloggers, my first two or three posts had limited traffic beyond family and friends. I did not totally understand “the blogging thing” yet, and was not driving traffic to my content.

Then came February 13, 2012 – the day I will never forget.

I walked in to my office like any other morning to check email. I was stunned to see so many new emails related to my blog. My first thought was “What did Castain do”?

I share this not to be cocky or arrogant, it was just the first thought that came to my mind. I had a feeling that Paul was responsible.

I still remember my heart racing as I realized what had happened.

To this day, no matter how hard I try, I cannot surpass the number of daily page views that I received when Paul gave Bruce Zimmerman and I a “shout out” on his blog. I am forever grateful for the gesture, and what he has done for me and my business.

I never expected anything in return from Paul. I just wanted to help because of his incredibly content, passion to make others be better and his love for life.

Our relationship has now developed to where I help run his music group on LinkedIn (a subgroup of the highly successful Sales Playbook) called the Daily Music Sanctuary http://linkd.in/1g45rW0 .We try to talk at least 2-3 times per year. I was invited to attend one of his webinars free of charge, and had the distinct pleasure of doing a testimonial for his awesome Ebook “Paul Castain’s Social Networking Playbook” http://bit.ly/Mw7YOI

If you reach out to others and build relationships you never know what might happen. If your intentions are not self-fulfilling, you might get an incredible surprise like I did that day!

Paul has become my mentor and motivates me to move my consulting business forward every day! As great as the mention was on Paul’s blog, the best part is I now have an incredible friend who will be there when I need him, and that means the world to me!

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Dynamic and energized sales rep, mentor and leader since 1999. This blog will be about sales, social networking, personal branding, leadership, music and having some laughs! Don’t be surprised if I mix it up on occasion though, and talk about something totally different! I thrive on being part of successful, forward thinking teams. I am ready to go from the moment my feet hit the floor each morning, with the expectation that new adventures will be coming my way. It is rare that there isn't a smile on my face, as I take it all in, and have some fun along the way!